Point indicating peg



June 10, 1958 H. J. GRIFFITH 2,838,311

POINT INDICATING PEG Filed Dec. 26, 1956 INVENTOR. 776 j /ZEI/ V J Gk/F TH p- WW for removable retention in a ground surface.

POINT INDICATING PEG Harvey J. Griffith, Denver, Colo., assignor of one-tenth to Gadget=Of-The-Month Club, Inc., Los Angeles, Cali, a corporation of California Application December 26, 1956, Serial No, 630,526

2 Ciaims. (Cl. 273-4065) Generally speaking, the present invention relates to the game art and, more particularly, it relates to a score indicating peg which is cooperable to be thrown at a ground surface, a penetrable board, or a game board target.

Applicant is aware of the fact that prior art devices of the general type indicated have been developed heretofore. However, all such prior art devices known to applicant have major disadvantages of one type or another. For example, such prior art throwing devices usually require a target of some sort in order to translate the throw into a score. The various darts or pegs that are used do not in themselves have any means in which to render a-score to the participants, therefore some sort of target is necessary in order to constitute a game. As is generaliy the case with children, the target is frequently lost or broken and the children regard the pegs as part of an incomplete game and lose interest, which results in an abandonment or destruction of the pegs. The parents are then pressed by the child to replace the toy; thus it is evident that a top or game that requires a cooperation of several parts is usually a complete economic loss for the parents if one of the parts is lost or broken. The fact that a target is required with prior art throwing devices adds a considerable amount to the final retail price. It is also evident that the game can usually only be played when there is a target and therefore restricts the use of the game.

. The present invention was developed primarily to overcome the aforementioned problems and, generally speaking, can be said to be a peg having a tapered end and score indicating means thereon and which'is cooperable The score indicating means is usually located at one extremity and consist of a bulb having a graduated index, which corresponds to a certain numerical score, and which partly contains a liquid therein which is responsive to an angular relationship as defined by the peg and a ground surface. The present invention may be played on a lawn or the ground and still constitute a game that is skillful and pleasurable. It may be cooperable with a penetrable board or may be cooperable with a game board target, which may be appropriately marked off to indicate a further score. If the game board target is included with the peg, the game becomes a little more complex and two scores are possible: (1) the angular relationship the peg makes with the board which is translated by the score indicating means into a numerical score and (2) the numerical score that is obtained when the peg is embedded in a target that has been marked off to indicate a score. However, it is evident that if the target should become lost or broken, the peg by itself is sufficient to maintain interest and form the nucleus of a game. The peg could be used indoors or outdoors, with a target or without a target, and is a game that is simple to learn. Various throwing exercises could be incorporated in a game with the peg, for example, holding the peg with Patented June 19, 1. 3 58 the thumb and index finger and throwing it, holding the peg against the ear and throwing it. The game can be varied so that the object of the game is to throw the peg and obtain a desired angular relationship, such as an approximately forty five degree angle.

From the above description of basic and generic forms of the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that virtually all of the hereinbefore mentioned prior art problems and/or disadvantages are substantially entirely eliminated, met and/or overcome in and through use of the present invention.

For example, it is obvious that the present invention is easily throwable and cooperable for indicating a score to the user.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved peg which has score indicating means of greatly improved characteristics.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a game apparatus, including a game board target and a score indicating peg, that is novel and skillful and which will hold the interest of adults as well as children.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved score indicating peg that may be used as a game without any additional accessory devices.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device of the character set forth in the preceding object, which is extremely cheap, simple, easy to operate and of virtually foolproof construction.

Other and allied objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a careful perusal, examination and study of the accompanying illustrations, the present specification, and the appended claims.

To facilitate understanding, reference will be made to the hereinbelow described figures, in which:

Fig. '1 is an operational perspective view of an illustrative peg;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the score indicating means, as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an operational perspective view of the point indicating peg embedded in an illustrative game board target.

Generally speaking, the point indicating peg, indicated generally at 4, consists of a shaft 5 having a tapered end 6 at one extremity and score indicating means, indicated generally at 7, at the opposite extremity. The score indicating means 7, which in the specific example illustrated in Figs. 1-3, consists of a bulb 8, a numerical index 9 on said bulb 8, and a suitable liquid, which in the examples illustrated takes the form of uncolored water 10, which is contained in the bulb 8. The water 10 is responsive to the angular relationship the peg 4 forms with the surface it adheres to, as indicated by the arrow A in Fig. 3. Thus a ninety degree angle may be five points, a forty five degree angle may be three points, and a thirty three degree angle may be three points, or various other desired point relationships may be indexed on the bulb 8. The angle the shaft 5 makes with the surface 11 is translated by the level of the water 10 which lines up with the index 9 to indicate a numerical score that is usually necessary in a competitive game or sport. The bulb 8 may be affixed to the shaft 5, as is shown in Figs. 1-3, by suitable adhesive means 12, although not so limited and may be afiixed by mechanical means or may comprise an integral part of the peg and need not be a separate element.

A target 13, as shown in Fig. 3, is used with the present invention when the object is to provide a more complex game. In this form there are two scoring systems: (1) the area in which the missile 4 is embedded corresponds to a certain point score, and (2) the angular relationship the peg 4 makes with the target 13 is translated by the score indicating means 7 into an additional point score. The target 13 may be made out of any suitable penetrable material. The peg 4 may be cooperable with any suitable penetrable board, not shown since these are well known in the art. i

The orientation of the player and the peg with respect to the surface to be thrown may be varied substantially as to distance and position in order to enable the players to obtain gradation in throwing skill. In general, the rules are similar to mumblee peg, although not so limited.

It should be understood that the term bulb is to be interpreted broadly as relating in a generic way and is not necessarily limited to a rounded construction.

Numerous modifications and variations of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the art after a careful study hereof. All such properly within the basic spirit, scope and/or teachings of the present invention are intended to be included and comprehended herein as fully as if specifically described, illustrated and claimed.

For example, it is obvious that sand or the like may 1 be substituted for the liquid in the bulb. It is also apparent that the score indicating means need not be located at an extremity and may take an intermediate position on the shaft. In some embodiments of the present invention the tapered end may be replaced with a suction device.

The exact compositions, configurations, constructions, relative positioning, and cooperative relationships of the various component parts of the present invention are not critical, and can be modified substantially within the spirit of the present invention.

The embodiments of the present invention specifically described and illustrated herein are exemplary only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is to be interpreted in the light of the prior art and the appended claims only, with due consideration for the doctrine of equivalents.

I claim:

1. A' score-indicating throwably penetrating peg, comprising: a throwably penetrating peg having a shaft provided with a tapered conical smooth translatably penctrating point at one extremity and provided with a scoreindicating means at the opposite extremity consisting of a transparent hollow bulb having a visibly observable graduated index thereon and being provided therein with a visibly observable indicating liquid partially filling said hollow bulb and cooperating with said visibly observable graduated index to indicate a game score corresponding to the angular relationship of said throwably penetrating peg with respect to a surface throwably translatably penctrated by said peg.

2. A score-indicating throwably penetrating peg, comprising: a throwably penetrating peg having a shaft provided with a tapered conical smooth translatably penctrating point at its lower extremity and provided with a score-indicating means at its upper extremity consisting of a transparent hollow bulb having a visably observable graduated index thereon consisting of a plurality of vertically spaced substantially parallel horizontal rings and being provided therein with a visibly observable indicating liquid partially filling said hollow bulb and cooperating with said visibly observable graduated index to indicate a game score corresponding to the angular relationship of said throwably penetrating peg with respect to a horizontal surface throwably translatably penetrated by said peg.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 177,932 Gifiord May 30, 1376 583,133 Thurber May 25, 1897 970,360 Whigham Sept. 3, 1910 1,294,856 Willis Feb. 18, 1919 1,326,021 Calarco d. Dec. 23, 1919 1,774,765 Schoen Sept. 2, 1930 1,956,875 Paradise May 1, 1934 I 2,525,387 Volk Oct. 10, 195i) 

